Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Cover All Coloradans

‘If this bill passes, we’re moving’: How a Colorado veteran became a political voice online
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

‘If this bill passes, we’re moving’: How a Colorado veteran became a political voice online

By RMV Staff | Rocky Mountain Voice A Colorado Springs defense worker who never wanted to be in politics now says the only place left to win back gun rights in this state is a federal courtroom — and that the window is open right now. Nicholas, the veteran behind the YouTube channels Big Timber Lodge and Big Timber Armory, told Heidi Ganahl on the latest episode of Unleashed that he spent more than a year building legal packages for the U.S. Department of Justice, asking it to sue Colorado over its firearm laws. In early May, the DOJ filed suit. Colorado’s gun restrictions moved faster than gun owners could fight them in state court, where judges are appointed under Democrat governors. Now the Trump administration’s Justice Department, not a Colorado plaintiff, is suing the st...
Colorado’s Republican governor primary: Scott Bottoms in his own words
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado’s Republican governor primary: Scott Bottoms in his own words

By RMV Editorial Board | Rocky Mountain Voice In five weeks, the candidate who won 45 percent of delegate votes at the GOP state assembly will be a name on a ballot. Scott Bottoms wants them to know exactly where he stands—on everything. In the individualized portion of RMV's governor primary feature, the Colorado Springs pastor and state representative answered questions about his faith-driven language on the House floor, his budget vote, his FBI claims, his endorsement of Joe Oltmann, his readiness to run a $46 billion state government and his vote against certifying election results. These questions were drawn from reader submissions, Bottoms' legislative record and public statements. The common questions all three GOP candidates received are published in the side-by-side c...
Colorado’s Republican governor primary: Barb Kirkmeyer in her own words
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado’s Republican governor primary: Barb Kirkmeyer in her own words

By RMV Editorial Board | Rocky Mountain Voice In five weeks, more than 21,000 petition signatures become a name on a ballot. Barb Kirkmeyer got on that ballot by knocking on doors. While her two opponents competed for delegate votes at the GOP state assembly, this state senator skipped the convention and submitted 21,342 petition signatures—15,438 of which were validated by the Secretary of State—to qualify for the June 30 primary. In the individualized portion of RMV's governor primary feature, Kirkmeyer explains why she chose that path and answers questions about her budget vote, TABOR refunds, Tina Peters, abortion and what kind of Republican she is. The questions below were shaped by reader submissions, public statements and Kirkmeyer's record in the state Senate. The six ...
Partisan Divide Sharpens Over Colorado Spending Plan As $46.8B Budget Moves to Senate
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Partisan Divide Sharpens Over Colorado Spending Plan As $46.8B Budget Moves to Senate

By Marissa Ventrelli | The Denver Gazette The battle over Colorado’s proposed $46.8 billion spending plan for next year shifted to the state Senate, which must decide whether to acquiesce to changes made by the House. The senators could also decide to adopt their own changes, which would force the two bodies to reconcile their differences. The state constitution requires a balanced budget, although that rarely stays balanced for long, and this year, lawmakers must plug a deficit of more than $1 billion. The proposed budget is actually bigger than the current year’s spending plan, driven by Medicaid costs. In the Senate, the budget is sponsored by Joint Budget Committee members Sens. Jeff Bridges, D‑Greenwood Village, Barbara Kirkmeyer, R‑Brighton, and Judy Amabi...
While Colorado cuts care for its most vulnerable, it continues funding undocumented children in a $96 million program
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

While Colorado cuts care for its most vulnerable, it continues funding undocumented children in a $96 million program

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice “This is selfish.” That’s how Jon Caldara opened his April 1 column, writing not about politics, but about his son. He leads Denver’s Independence Institute and has long been a free-market voice in Colorado. "My son, Chance, has Down syndrome," Caldara shared. "This 21-year-old man cannot consistently count to five, can't read and can't write his own name. He needs constant supervision for choking risks. He still needs help toileting. And that's just the start." Medicaid, Caldara wrote, "was designed for people like him, our most vulnerable. And I am grateful for it. This is the funding he requires to live." The Colorado legislature is in the process of cutting it — not because the state determined Chance and people...
Colorado Program For Immigrant Children And Pregnant Women Blows Past Cost Estimates By 611%
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado Program For Immigrant Children And Pregnant Women Blows Past Cost Estimates By 611%

By Jesse Paul and John Ingold | The Colorado Sun The state predicts that the Covering All Coloradans program will cost Colorado $104.5 million in the fiscal year that began July 1. Nonpartisan fiscal analysts estimated the cost would be $14.7 million. roviding health care to children and pregnant people who would qualify for Medicaid if not for their immigration status will cost Colorado more than six times what was projected this year.  Because of higher-than-forecast enrollment, the state is expecting that the Cover All Coloradans program will cost the state $104.5 million in the fiscal year that began July 1. When Democratic state lawmakers passed a bill in 2022 launching the health insurance safety net initiative, nonpartisan fiscal analysts estima...
Trump administration investigating Colorado’s Medicaid spending on illegal immigrants
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Trump administration investigating Colorado’s Medicaid spending on illegal immigrants

By Jennifer Brown | Colorado Sun The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid requested detailed information from the state Medicaid program as it investigates “fiscal integrity” The Trump administration is launching an investigation into Colorado Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants, an extensive data request from federal officials reveals.  The 11 pages of requested information, which The Colorado Sun obtained through the state open records act, asks about Colorado spending and policies, and seeks personal information about Medicaid claims during the past three months, including patients’ immigration status.  In an email accompanying the data request, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it intends to review claims that Colorado submitted ...
$2.3B at risk? House Republicans press Polis to end Medicaid funding for illegals
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

$2.3B at risk? House Republicans press Polis to end Medicaid funding for illegals

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Three Republican members of Colorado's delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives are urging Gov. Jared Polis to work with legislators to end state spending on health care coverage for undocumented immigrants — or risk losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. "We write to you expressing grave concerns over Colorado’s continued policy of covering illegal immigrants with state Medicaid funds — prioritizing benefits for those unlawfully present in our country over citizens who need it the most: individuals with disabilities, single mothers, children, and seniors," U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans wrote in a letter delivered to the Democratic governor on Thursday. The letter was also signed by U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert and Jeff Cr...

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